Unexpected Situations
by La Apricot
Summary: Over the summer Pansy and Ron have met up and fallen in love. Only problem is, Hermione likes Ron and Draco likes Pansy. So they team up to wrench them apart... d/h *finished*
1. On the Train to Hogwarts

This story has absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but it's still up because it's one of the few stories I've written that I'm proud of.   
  
Unexpected Situations  
  
"I don't believe you!" Hermione shrieked. Ron just looked at her and Harry and shrugged.  
  
"I don't believe you either," Harry told him. Ron grinned.  
  
"I knew you wouldn't," he said, "But please, she isn't really like the other Slytherins."  
  
Harry coughed. "Are you sure this is Pansy Parkinson you're talking about?"  
  
"Yes," Ron replied, almost angrily, "We both happened to be on vacation by the ocean, you know, at one of those boring little towns, and we hung out because our parents were always doing stupid things like look at museums and historical monuments. And then, well - we liked each other…"  
  
"You could afford - I mean, uh, was the ocean nice?" Harry asked. Hermione turned her head away from them both and looked out at the passing countryside. Why? Why did Ron like Pansy Parkinson when he could have her any time he asked? She'd been so sure she'd been making headway with him last year, and now this. Boys were so stupid, they always managed to break your heart.  
  
It was the start of fifth year and they were on the train to Hogwarts. As usual they had a compartment to themselves at the back of the train.   
  
"I visited Viktor Krum this summer," Hermione said suddenly, without knowing why she said it. It certainly wouldn't make Ron jealous. Perhaps last year it had, before Pansy had come and ruined it all.  
  
"Was it nice?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded.  
  
"His house is quite large."  
  
"Well, he's pretty rich I suppose," Ron said.  
  
Suddenly the compartment door swung open and in marched Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, sneers spread across their faces.  
  
"Ready for another year?" Draco jeered. "Remember, remember what happened last year! Are you ready to face it? Granger, I'm surprised you're not in hiding. Muggles and Mudbloods first!"  
  
Draco had grown over the summer, he was almost as tall as Ron now, and just as tall as Harry (Hermione was shorter than both of them by about half an inch). But he still had the same arrogant swagger, nasty grin, wispy blond hair and peaked face. Harry glared at him.  
  
"You're so ignorant Malfoy," he said quietly. Draco blinked and Crabbe and Goyle clenched their fists.  
  
"Don't bother with him," Draco said to Crabbe, "He's not worth the trouble."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Ron said angrily. "He's escaped You-Know-Who more than once, which is more than you can say!"  
  
"If I met the Dark Lord I wouldn't have to escape from him, pauper," Draco replied smugly. Ron's freckles disappeared into his bright-red face. Hermione grabbed him by his robes, even though he hadn't tried to attack anyone yet.  
  
"I don't think Pansy cares if Ron is a 'pauper'," Harry put in calmly, his green eyes twinkling mischievously. Draco looked confused.   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Ron was turning even redder, not from anger this time but from embarrassment. Hermione looked away.  
  
"Haven't you talked to Pansy yet Malfoy?" Harry continued. "It seems she met Ron here over the holidays and discovered they had a lot in common…"  
  
"Pansy talked to you, Weasley?" Draco sneered, but with a slight bit less confidence than before.   
  
"Yes," Ron said, lifting his chin determinedly. Crabbe and Goyle didn't seem to be understanding what was going on and they guffawed without reason.  
  
Draco's face grew a shade paler and he narrowed his eyes. Harry's grin widened.  
  
"She liked him, didn't she Ron?" he said. Ron put his red face in his hands.   
  
"Pansy isn't going out with you," Draco almost whispered.  
  
Hermione looked up with a start and realized from the tone of Draco's voice that Draco had liked Pansy…  
  
"Surprises you, doesn't it Malfoy?" Harry asked.   
  
Malfoy straightened, whirled around, and exited the compartment. Crabbe and Goyle, still sniggering over nothing, followed.  
  
Hermione turned back towards the window and stared out. As if from far away she heard Ron angrily asking Harry why'd he'd had to embarrass him in front of Malfoy. She looked at her hands, then twisted them together. How in the world could Ron have fallen for Pansy? Pansy, the person Hermione had though least likely to be her rival.  
  
She listened to the chug-chug of the train as its wheels covered the thousands of miles to Hogwarts…  
  
So, I've never tried to write a romance before (except for a fanfic called 'Legolas's Story') so if this is really bad please forgive me. 


	2. A Plan

Chapter 2  
Wow, I got this chapter up fast. We have Christmas holidays now so I have lots of   
time, but I'll probably have less when I go back to school. Thank you sooooooo much for   
all of your reviews! I'm just so happy now!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
The days and weeks went by, and Hermione felt more and more depressed. She   
could see with her own eyes that what Ron had said was true. More and more often she   
fell asleep on a pillow damp from the tears she shed. She supposed she was making a   
rather big deal out of this, but she'd never had her heart broken before. Maybe it was   
easier the more it happened…  
"Hey Granger," a drawling voice called as she was walking back from an   
Arithmancy class. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen.  
She turned and saw Draco Malfoy, his eyes narrow, standing there.   
"Excuse me?" she asked, thinking he had made a mistake.  
"Granger, I want to talk to you," he said. "Not here."  
Hermione drew her eyebrows together and looked at him.  
"What?"  
"I need to talk to you," he snarled. "Come on."  
There was an empty classroom off to one side of the hall and Draco entered it.   
Hermione hesitated, then curiosity got the better of her and she followed.  
"You like Ron Weasley," Draco stated when she came in. She froze and looked at   
him.  
"Knew it," he said smugly, seeing the expression on her face.   
"What's it to you?" she replied frostily, moving forward again.  
"Actually, a lot," Draco said. "I want to break Ron and Pansy up. It's disgraceful   
for a Slytherin to date – that."  
"Oh, that's your reason, is it?" Hermione said scathingly. "I could have sworn you   
liked Pansy."  
Draco's pale face turned red.  
"Whatever," he mumbled. "I need help. You're top of the class and you like Ron.   
You can help."  
"Who said I'd want to?" Hermione hissed.  
"Don't you?" Draco asked, looking the tiniest bit surprised.   
"It's a totally Slytherin-ish thing to do," she replied, in her snootiest voice. She   
glared.  
"Well, fine," Draco answered. "Of course you couldn't expect a Mudblood to   
help."  
"If that was supposed to convince me to help you it didn't work," Hermione said   
angrily. She slung her books over shoulder and stomped towards the door.  
"Don't worry. I'm sure Crabbe and Goyle would help you," she called back as she   
slammed the door.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
But Hermione couldn't get Draco's suggestion out of her mind. Ron and Pansy   
were so different it would be doing them a favor to make them see it. And it would   
definitely leave the way clear for her to move in. Certainly Draco couldn't do it on his   
own.  
All through the day Hermione was distracted, so much that Professor McGonagall   
yelled at her in class for the first time that year. With a sigh she entered the Common   
Room at the end of the day, only to find everyone there discussing the most unlikely   
match ever, Ron and Pansy. Hermione clamped her hands over her ears and exited again.  
Ron was at the Quidditch pitch watching Harry's practice and Hermione joined   
him. But within minutes Pansy appeared and she sat down beside them too. All she and   
Ron did was talk, but Hermione couldn't stand it. After a few minutes she left them, and   
was furious to see neither of them noticed her go.  
That's it then, Hermione thought, Draco's right.  
She stormed into the castle and down to the dungeons. Ron and Harry had told her   
where the Slytherin Common Room was after they'd used the Polyjuice Potion to   
become Crabbe and Goyle, and she went there now. Lifting her fist she knocked loudly.  
Millicent Bulstrode opened the door. Hermione stared determinedly.  
"I want to speak to Draco Malfoy."  
"Draco Malfoy?" Millicent laughed. "He won't want to speak to you."  
Terence Higgs looked over her shoulder.  
"What's a Mudblood doing down here?" he asked, twirling his wand. Hermione   
hoped he wasn't going to hex her.  
"She wants to talk to Malfoy," Millicent smirked. Hermione lifted her chin.  
"Who's there?"  
This time it was Draco himself who looked over Millicent's shoulder.  
"She wants to speak to you," Terence told him, jerking his thumb at Hermione.   
Draco narrowed his eyes.   
"Make way," he drawled, pushing himself through Millicent and Terence.   
"So, what?" he asked when he'd gotten through. Hermione looked at Millicent   
and Terence.   
"Shut the door," she said. "I don't want all the Slytherins to hear."  
Millicent snorted, Terence glared, and Draco looked stubborn. So Hermione leant   
nearer to Draco and whispered "It's about Pansy."  
Draco quit glaring and told Millicent to shut the door. Millicent complied, but not   
without a lot of dirty looks.  
"I'll help you," Hermione told Draco as soon as the door was shut. "You know,   
about Pansy and Ron."  
Draco glowered. "Maybe I decided I don't need your help."  
Hermione couldn't suppress a snort.  
"Shut up Granger," he told her.  
"So," Hermione said, "Do you want my help or not?"  
Draco hesitated, torn between keeping his distance from Hermione and getting   
Pansy for himself.  
"Fine," he said, through clenched teeth. "Help me if you want. I'll see you later."  
And he turned around and re-entered the Slytherin Common Room.  
  
  
  
  
  
There, that's the next chapter. Draco is one of my favorite characters in Harry   
Potter, he's so nasty and evil. But he's so hard to write because I keep making him too   
nice. Grrrr. I think Draco's problem is that he just does whatever his father does, and   
doesn't think for himself. Anyway, I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can, if you guys   
still want me to continue. 


	3. Christmas is Coming

Chapter 3  
  
Hermione stomped into the Common Room after another fruitless meeting with  
Draco. They'd just ended up fighting again and gotten nowhere. He'd really   
blown histop when Hermione had called him a 'slimy git'.  
Hermione was still furious from when he'd first told her they'd have to   
talk aboutwhat they were going to do in secret because he 'didn't want to be seen   
talking to aMudblood'. She had angrily replied it was almost as bad to be seen talking   
to a Slytherin,and the son of a Death Eater at that. He'd gotten so mad he'd pulled out his   
wand andstarted jinxing everything in sight and Hermione had had to hide under a   
table.  
And that had only been their first meeting. They'd had five more since   
then, andthey had all been disastrous. She and Malfoy just weren't compatible. It was   
already themiddle of December and they hadn't done a thing.  
Besides, their meetings hadn't stayed very secret. Usually everyone came   
runningwhen they heard them screaming at each other, though no one yet knew why   
they'dstarted talking in the first place.  
Hermione pulled on her robes and brushed her teeth, then she combed her   
hair. Atthe other side of the room Parvati and Lavender were using magic to put all   
their hair inlittle braids and Hermione scowled. Her hair was so unmanageable.  
She janked a comb through it once more before she descended the spiral   
staircaseto the Common Room. Ron and Harry were down too, and they all went to   
breakfasttogether.  
"Excuse me," Dumbledore called out over the hall. Harry, Ron and Hermione  
looked at each other. Dumbledore had never made an announcement at breakfast   
before.  
"I just wanted to let you know," he said, "Since it is almost Christmas   
holidays,that there'll be a Christmas Ball again this year. Many students have been   
begging me forone," here his eyes twinkled at a group of girls sitting at the Ravenclaw   
table, "And I am pleased to say it can be done. Thank you." He sat down again.  
Harry groaned. "But last year was horrible!"  
"Maybe Pansy'll want to come," Ron said thoughtfully. Hermione felt like  
groaning too.  
Over the next few weeks many people signed up to stay at Hogwarts over the  
holidays. Hermione entertained the thought of just going home, until her   
mother sent anowl (Hermione had taught them how to use it) saying Great Aunt Agatha was   
comingover for the holidays. Hermione decided she'd prefer to go to the Ball   
rather than sittingat home listening to Aunt Agatha reminisce about her childhood days.  
Hermione couldn't get to sleep at night because all the other girls were   
giggling about the Ball. It seemed all the girls had someone they wanted to ask them   
to go, andthey were always giggling about whether that person would or not. Hermione   
clamped her pillow over her ears and inwardly begged Ron to ask her.  
"Well, I'm going with Pansy," Ron said one evening as they were playing  
Exploding Snap. Hermione froze but nobody noticed because the pack chose   
thatmoment to blow up. Harry smiled.  
"I asked Cho Chang this year," he said. "This time she said yes."  
Hermione stood up, mumbled something about not wanting to play anymore,   
thendashed out of the Common Room to find Draco. Harry stared after her but Ron   
was toobusy trying to rub the scotch marks off the table to notice.  
She met Draco rushing up the hall as she was running down it. Both of them  
stopped, then Hermione burst out  
"Did Pansy tell you?"  
Draco nodded, and Hermione caught a flash of hurt in his eyes. For half a   
momentshe felt empathetic, then remembered he deserved it.  
"This is stupid, Granger," he snarled. "We're not doing anything."  
"I know," Hermione sighed. "Got any ideas?"  
"Half of one," Draco replied. "It's one way we can keep on eye on Pansy and   
Ron anyway."  
"What?" Hermione asked.  
"Double-date."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Yes Neville?" Hermione said as he came up to her after Care of Magical  
Creatures. He turned rather red and looked at his feet.  
"Do you want to got to the Ball with me?" he asked. Hermione collected   
herself and faced him.  
"I'm sorry, but I'm already going with someone." She also looked at her   
feet."Just like last year."  
Neville's eyes widened. "Who?"  
Hermione would have given anything to keep him from asking that question.  
"Draco Malfoy."  
"What about Malfoy?" Harry asked, coming up. Neville looked like he was   
about to faint.  
"She's – she's going to the Ball with him," Neville gasped. Harry stared.  
"Excuse me?"  
Hermione nodded shame-facedly.  
"He, um, betted Terence Higgs he could transfigure a cat, but he couldn't,"   
she  
explained. "If he lost he'd have to go to the Ball with me. He lost, so   
Terence tricked meinto saying I'll go with Malfoy."  
She summoned up a glare. "I'm not telling you how he tricked me."  
That was the story they had decided to tell their friends, though Draco's   
versionwas slightly different so Terence couldn't say he'd never betted that. It   
wasn't likely any of Hermione's friends would talk to Draco's friends.  
"Poor you," Ron said, coming up. He grinned at Hermione.  
"Yeah, I heard," he nodded toward Harry and Neville. "Perhaps you and Draco  
will want to double-date with me and Pansy, since Malfoy's her friend."  
Hermione let out her breath. This part, at least, was going exactly as   
planned.  
"Sure," she said, and she smiled.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The days and weeks before the dreaded Ball rushed by, and Hermione   
discoveredto her horror that her floaty periwinkle blue dress robes didn't fit   
anymore. She had grown taller. So she owled her parents for money and went to Gladrags   
Wizardwear inHogsmeade to buy new ones.  
Ginny Weasley was going with Dean Thomas this year, and Fred and George  
were going with Angelina and Alicia. Everyone seemed to be excited except   
Hermione.How could she spend an entire evening with Draco? Hopefully she could get   
Ron to slipoff somewhere with her. Draco certainly wouldn't mind.  
Hermione was sitting in a corner of the Common Room trying to study but   
Parvatiand Lavender (who were going with Seamus and a Ravenclaw named David) were  
shrieking too loudly. She sighed and flipped through her library book,   
looking at the pictures. Around her everyone seemed to be swirling, having fun, enjoying   
themselves.Hermione sighed and looked at Ron.  
"So, you're going with Malfoy?" Fred was asking, sitting down beside her.  
George sat down too.  
"Yes," Hermione sighed. She put her head in her arms.  
"Bad choice," George remarked. Hermione groaned.  
"I was tricked into it!"  
"Well…" Fred grinned.  
BANG! Hermione jumped and sparks shot around her. Fred had set off a Dr  
Filibuster's No-Heat Wet-Start Firework off beneath her. She shrieked,   
picked up herbooks and marched away.  
"Touchy," George teased. Hermione glared and stopped up the spiral   
staircase.  
Ginny was sitting on her bed when Hermione stormed in.  
"Something wrong?" she asked.  
"Some thing wrong? Everything's wrong!" Hermione exploded. "I have to go to  
the Ball with Malfoy, the Common Room is too noisy, and your stupid brothers   
just set off a firework beneath me!"  
"Don't mind Fred and George," Ginny said. "They always do things like   
that."  
"I know," Hermione muttered, throwing herself on her bed.  
"Hey," if it makes you feel any better, I'll do your hair for you on the   
night of the Ball," Ginny offered. Hermione stared at her in amazement. Ginny had   
considerable skill with hair-styles, and all the other girls had been begging her to do their   
hair for the Ball.  
"Sure," Hermione replied. "Can you do anything to mine though?"  
"You have nice curls actually," Ginny said. "They're just super-frizzy."  
"Well, if you think you can do it…"  
Ginny grinned. "Of course."  
  
  
  
Well, there's the third chapter. Hope you like it. 


	4. Christmas

Chapter 4  
  
Hermione sighed and looked in the mirror. It was the dreaded Christmas Ball and all   
the girls were rushing around, getting ready. She was wearing her new robe, a delicate pale   
green one with a chain of carefully crafted orchids around her waist instead of a sash. The   
neckline emphasized her collarbones, and around her neck she wore a chain of the same sort of   
orchids she had around her waist. Ginny had done her hair, braiding half of it into a crown around   
her head and turning the bottom half into soft curls with a bunch of spells Hermione had never   
seen before.  
"I can teach you them sometime," Ginny had said with a grin as Lavender shot   
Hermione jealous looks. Lavender had been at the back of the line, and Hermione had been first.  
Now Ginny was doing Parvati's hair and Hermione was nervously waiting for everyone   
to start going downstairs to the Great Hall. She so dreaded this night. All the other girls had   
decent partners.  
Finally they started going down, and Hermione got up and followed. Harry and  
Ron were waiting at the bottom and they all went to the Great Hall together. Cho was at the   
bottom of the marble staircase that led to the doors of the Hall, and Harry went over to her. Draco   
and Pansy were standing by the entrance. Ron and Hermione went over to them.  
"Hi," Ron said. Draco turned, looked Hermione up and down, and nodded hello.  
"Let's go in, shall we?" Pansy said nervously. They entered the Great Hall.  
They sat together at one of the round tables that had been set up. There was complete   
silence, except when Pansy tried to start a conversation.  
Everyone else came in, sat down, and dinner was served. Hermione and Ron had a   
conversation, with Pansy occasionally saying something to Ron and Draco sometimes saying   
something to Pansy.  
Draco seemed to be in a really downcast mood. Everything he said was said bitterly   
and he rarely looked up. Hermione wondered if it was because she was his date.  
Hermione toyed with her ham and nibbled on her green peas. The tension at the table   
was very thick.  
"So, we go to Hogsmeade again in March," Ron said. "That's a while to wait."  
"Yes," Hermione replied. She speared a pea and popped it in her mouth.  
"Um, they've got a nice clothes store there," Pansy said. "Gladrags Wizardwear."  
Hermione could have said she'd gotten her dress robes there, but she didn't. It wasn't   
any of Pansy's business.  
"Er – really," she said instead.  
Finally dinner was over. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Ron asked Pansy   
to dance. Hermione dispiritedly watched them walk away, her mind screaming 'Why?' over and   
over.  
"Wow, wasn't our plan a success," she muttered to Draco. He grunted.  
Harry and Cho came over. Harry grinned at her sympathetically but Cho just looked   
curious.   
"Well, it certainly looks like you guys are having fun. Why don't you dance?" he joked.   
Cho smiled but Hermione barely cracked a grin.  
She, Cho and Harry chatted for a little while, then they went off to dance again and   
Hermione was left sitting at the sidelines again. She glanced over at the dance floor and realized   
Ron and Pansy were nowhere to be seen.  
"Where are they?" she asked Draco. "Weren't you watching them?"  
Draco looked up and saw they were gone.  
"It wasn't all my fault," he muttered. "You should have watched too, not yakking it up   
with your friends."  
Hermione felt the heat rise in her cheeks but she fought it down. She didn't want to   
make a scene.  
"Well, get up then," she said to him. "We got to go find them."  
He sighed and stood up, and immediately Hermione felt dwarfed. Everyone in   
Hogswarts was really too tall for someone only of average height. It seemed everyone she hung   
around with could look down on her.  
They wondered around the Hall, walking about five feet away from each other, but Ron   
and Pansy weren't anywhere in it. They checked a couple outside hallways, then gave up,   
thinking they probably wouldn't leave the party.  
"Maybe they're outside," Hermione said, gesturing towards the rose garden. Draco   
shrugged and followed her out of the castle.  
Outside he moodily kicked stones across her path as she went along, until she was   
thoroughly fed up with him.  
"If I'm such a bad date just tell me and I'll get out of here," she finally exploded.  
Draco looked down at her questioningly.  
"You've been in a foul mood all evening," she explained. He grunted.  
"I got a letter from Father," he said. "None of your concern." He plucked a rose and   
started pulling it to pieces.  
"Don't you like your father?" she asked.  
"I don't know!" he snarled. "I just don't know anymore."  
Hermione scanned the rose bushes but didn't see Ron and Pansy anywhere.   
That didn't mean they weren't here.  
"You're always so puffed up about your father," she said. Draco looked at her.  
"Am I?"  
"Well, you're always going on about how much influence he has."  
Draco kicked at the dirt. "He has considerable influence."  
"Father owes Dumbledore something," he continued. "Dumbledore did something for   
him ages ago, before You Know Who arose. Let him go to Hogwarts I think, because though he   
was from a pure-blood wizard family they were very poor. I think Grandfather gambled."  
"Uh-huh," Hermione said.  
"So yeah, Father doesn't like Dumbledore, doesn't agree with his ideas, and won't re-  
pay him for what he's done for him even though Father is rich now. Maybe it's like my mother   
said, Father doesn't like Dumbledore because he refuses to re-pay him and his conscience is   
gnawing at him. That's why he agreed to do one thing for Dumbledore."  
"Which was…" she prompted.  
"None of your business," Draco said shortly. He ripped up another flower.  
Hermione kept walking, past the fountains, past hundreds of rose bushes, but Ron and   
Pansy weren't anywhere.  
"You're just a Mudblood, but you're so lucky," Draco said suddenly. "You know exactly   
where you belong."  
"You don't?" Hermione asked.  
"No."  
He restlessly moved his hands.  
"You got friends," he said. "I got Crabbe and Goyle. I know the other Slytherins and we   
talk sometimes, but it's not really friendship. You have a perfectly normal, if muggle, family.   
Mine's all messed up. You know exact where your loyalties lie. I don't."  
"Loyalties?"  
"To Dumbledore or to – Voldemort," he said quietly.  
They walked farther.  
"Oh, this is sickening!" he finally exploded. "I'm envying a Mudblood, a Muggle-born!   
I'm talking to her! I'm telling her about my father! What is with this?"  
"You don't have to," Hermione said coldly.  
"No I don't and that's the problem," Draco replied. Hermione looked up at him in   
confusion.  
"Okay," he said. "The problem is – my father's not really a Death Eater. He helped   
Professor Snape when Snape was still a 'Death Eater'. He who must not be named discovered   
Snape wasn't a Death Eater but not my father. My father did it – because Dumbledore asked him   
to. I only found out this summer – my mother told me – and now everything is turned upside   
down. I don't know here I belong and whom I support. I keep telling myself, telling everybody, I   
still support the Dark Lord but…"  
He blasted a rose bush with his wand. "The problem is my father inwardly truly   
supports the Dark Lord. So to the Ministry he is acquitted, to Dumbledore he is a spy, to himself   
he support the Dark Lord. But will he stay loyal to Dumbledore forever? I don't know. I don't know   
what to do!"  
He drew in his breath and looked away from her, and she could see he was suddenly   
sorry he'd said anything to her at all.  
"I forgot who you were a minute," he said gruffly. "With Crabbe and Goyle you can tell   
them anything and they're too stupid to say a word to anyone."  
Suddenly he looked very worried. "You won't tell anyone? I should never have said a   
word. Father'll be killed and I think – I think I love my father."  
Hermione hesitated. Suddenly she had Draco in her power.  
"Please Hermione?" he said quietly. "You're – you're a good girl. For a  
Mudblood."  
Hermione's temper flared up.  
"Oh thank you for the compliment," she said acidly. "I think I'll leave now."  
"No wait, please," he said, catching her arm. "Don't tell."  
Hermione suddenly noticed his eyes were brown, and they were filling with worry. Even   
if he were a Slytherin it would be a mean thing to ruin his father.  
"All right," she promised.  
"Good," he said. They stood there for a moment.  
"Well, are we still looking for Ron and Pansy, or have we given up?" Hermione asked.   
She looked back. They had walked through more than half the rose garden.  
"Er, sure," Draco said. They went forward again.  
There was no sign of Ron and Pansy.  
"It's just I feel so messed up," he said finally. "I never would have told you if I could   
think clearer. I so feel I don't belong anymore. Not even to – Slytherin."  
For the first time in her life Hermione felt sympathy for Draco. She hovered her hand   
half an inch away from his arm, wondering if she should put it down.  
"I don't need your sympathy!" he snarled suddenly. "I don't need any Mudblood's   
sympathy!"  
He began walking very fast. Hermione let her hand fall to her side and followed.  
Ron and Pansy were nowhere in the garden.  
When they were through it they re-entered the Great Hall. The Ball was just ending so   
Hermione went towards the marble staircase that led towards the Gryffindor tower. Suddenly she   
was very tired.  
"Goodnight Granger."  
With surprise Hermione recognized Draco's voice, but when she turned around he was   
gone.  
Well, here's the next chapter finally. I've had it written for ages but never had the  
time to type it up and post it. I just have lots of homework, tons of basketball practice, and   
snowboarding.  
Don't worry, I'll have the next chapter up as fast as possible. 


	5. Voldemort

Chapter 5  
  
Somehow after the Ball Hermione couldn't think of Draco quite the same way   
again. They still fought every time they met, but she found she couldn't hate him   
completely, now that she understood him somewhat.  
After Christmas holidays they returned to the normal routine of life in the castle.   
Hermione started studying for her O.W.Ls, they were only a few months away, and Harry   
was training hard for the Quidditch Cup. Ron didn't take the O.W.Ls seriously yet, but   
Hermione knew he would be going crazy over them in a few months' time.  
"Ron," Hermione said one day. "Where did you and Pansy disappear to on the   
Christmas Ball?"   
Ron grinned. "So you noticed we were gone? We went with Fred, George,   
Angelina and Alicia to Hogsmeade, through one of the secret passages out of Hogwarts.   
It was more fun than sitting in the stuffy Great Hall and dancing. Sorry I didn't ask you to   
come, but Fred and George told me not to because they didn't want Malfoy coming   
along."  
"Oh," Hermione sighed. She felt a tad angry, thinking of how she'd looked all   
over for them.  
More time went by. They snow dripped off the roof in great pools of slush, and   
the path to the Herbology greenhouses was more of a river. Classes with Hagrid were   
also guaranteed to make you muddy all over; they were learning about the different kinds   
of magical birds and had to slog all over the ground with binoculars. The only good thing   
was that Draco had quit harassing her as much, probably afraid she'd tell everyone what   
he'd told her if he annoyed her too much. He was just as nasty to the other Gryffindors,   
however.   
There was another weekend in Hogsmeade, where Hermione finally got a chance   
to hang out with Harry and Ron without Pansy. Pansy had had to finish off some work for   
Professor Flitwick, and Hermione felt eternally grateful to him. They went to Zonko's   
and bought No-heat Fireworks to throw at each other.  
One day as Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean and Hermione were playing Gobstones   
Katie Bell came in and told Harry Dumbledore wanted to see him. Harry shot her a   
quizzical look but followed her out.  
They had played about three games of Gobstones when Harry came back.  
"What did the Headmaster want?" Dean asked.  
Harry shrugged and looked at them.   
"He warned me to be careful," he said. "He's not sure what Voldemort is up to.   
He just wanted me to – to be on my guard, I guess."  
Later Harry told Hermione and Ron Dumbledore had thought Voldemort was   
getting restless.  
"He hasn't tried anything really for a while," he said. "And killing might be next.   
I mean, he might kill for the fun of it, or for a stupid reason. And then he'll go after me,   
perhaps."  
Hermione and Ron looked at each other.  
"Does he really think someone will be killed?" Ron asked. "Maybe he doesn't   
trust some of his followers. Wow, I wonder who Dumbledore thinks is in danger."  
"Me," Harry sighed, running a hand over his messy black hair.  
Hermione wasn't so sure.  
Okay, a really short chapter this time. I'm trying to get all of this story up before the fifth   
book comes out and tells me this is way off track. So be patient, it'll all be up soon.  
  
-La Apricot 


	6. Kicked out of the Library

Chapter 6  
  
Hermione was walking towards the Quidditch pitch one warm spring day, the sun melting the very last of the snow and making it run everywhere in muddy streams. She jumped over these as she went, careful not to get her black robe all muddy. Harry was playing Quidditch and she and Ron were going to watch him, without Pansy.  
The whole school was walking out too, the younger kids splashing around, and the older ones stepping over the puddles. Ron was up ahead, talking to Dean Thomas, and Hermione hurried to catch up to them. But suddenly, without warning, she felt two hands give her a nice, sharp push and she went flying forward into the mud.  
Blech! she thought, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. Looking up she saw Marcus Flint and Warrington sneering down at her.   
"Look, the Mudblood is all muddy," Marcus sniggered. Hermione glared at such at childish insult.  
"Shut up, Flint," came a voice. "Don't call her a Mudblood." And Hermione's mouth dropped open. Draco Malfoy stood there, arms crossed. Marcus Flint rubbed his eyes.  
"What did you say?" Warrington asked.  
"Don't call her a Mudblood," Draco repeated calmly. Both Flint and Warrington were too thick to remember Draco himself had called her one. They just shook their heads and slunk away. Hermione sat in the middle of the puddle, frozen in shock.  
"Um, yeah," Draco said. He reached down and pulled her up. Hermione suddenly realized the only other time she'd touched him was when she'd slapped him in third year.   
"What was that all about?" she asked. "You always call me a Mudblood."  
"Oh," Draco said. "I don't want you to be mad at me."  
Hermione supposed he was thinking of what she knew about his father.  
She pulled her wand out of her pocket and started using magic to get the dirt off her robes. Her hair hung in rat-tails down her back, but there wasn't much she could do about that.   
"Uh, well, thank-you," she said. "See you."  
And she hurried off towards the stands.  
*******************  
Angrily Hermione slammed her book bag on the desk beside Draco. Professor Snape had accused her and Harry of talking too much (they hadn't!) and had moved her to the Slytherin side of the classroom. Hermione put her chin on her arms and sulked.  
Snape was explaining about some Crunjuctius Potion invented thousands of years ago, but for once Hermione wasn't listening. She was too busy either glaring at him or sneaking glances at Ron. The Gryffindors were all sitting neatly at one side of the classroom, not anxious to draw attention to themselves, but the Slytherin side was complete chaos. Hermione ducked her head under a flying Potions' textbook and shot another furious glance at Snape. He didn't even care!  
"The Crunjuctius Potion has an extremely long history," Snape informed them nastily. "And I want you to write a forty-inch long parchment on it for me."  
"In partners?" Parvati asked. Snape glared.  
"You are to work in partners," he said, and immediately everyone in the classroom began looking around them. Snape quashed all conversation with a glare. Hermione dragged her eyes away from trying to get Ron's attention and looked at him.  
"You will work with whomever you are sitting beside now," Snape said. Hermione's hope of going with Ron died. She looked beside her and met Draco's eyes.  
"Don't want to go with me, Granger?" he smirked. Hermione turned away. Luckily the bell rang just then, and she didn't have to answer.  
"Poor you," Harry said as they walked out of the classroom. "Good thing I was sitting by Ron."  
Hermione ground her teeth.  
She wondered if they would get any work done. At the moment she and Draco had a sort of a truce, but they were still liable to fly into fights. And she certainly wouldn't do all the work by herself.  
She spent the rest of that day in Astronomy, trying to plot the different paths of all of Saturn's moons. It was giving her a headache.  
The Potion's report was due in two weeks, and it was the only piece of homework she had ever not started on right away. It wasn't until nearly a week had gone by that Draco suggested they start on it.  
Hermione had been letting Ginny experiment on her hair lately, so Ron and Harry were no longer shocked when she came down with something in her hair. Inwardly Hermione was hoping they'd make an impression on Ron, and that was why she wore them.   
Today Ginny had made it go into ringlets that kept falling annoyingly into her face, and had tied part of it back loosely with a black ribbon. She blew her curls out of her face as she went down to the Library where she and Draco were to meet.  
"Me and Ron would join you if we could," Harry said as she exited the Common Room, "But I got Quidditch and Ron's going somewhere with Pansy." He winked.  
Pansy. Somehow it always came back to Pansy.  
Hermione entered the Library and found Draco already there, sitting in a corner with his arms crossed. She went over to him.  
"Hi Malfoy," she said, sitting down. She pulled out a list of books she'd thought would be good to research out of her bag.  
"Hey Granger," he replied. He had 'The History of the More Famous Potions' in his hands and Hermione checked that one off one her list.  
"Well, you're organized," he said, his voice drawling. "Why don't you just finish this off? Then we won't have to hang around each other.  
"In your dreams," Hermione snapped. "You're just lazy."  
"I am," Draco agreed. He smirked.  
Hermione walked around the library, pulling out the books on her list and checking them off. Half of these she dumped in front of Draco.  
"Make notes on these ones," she said. His eyes widened.  
"All of that?"  
Hermione ignored him and stuck her nose in a book.  
They sat in silence, occasionally writing things down, not looking at each other. Hermione was thankful no one came in because she didn't like to be seen hanging out with a Slytherin.  
Hermione threw down her quill. "I hate this. I hate Professor Snape."  
"Now look who's lazy," Draco muttered.  
"He didn't want me to go with Ron," she continued, "So he put me with you."  
"You had to talk so he'd move you," he said. "And so I couldn't go with Pansy."  
"Ron's so block-headed!" she complained. "I've tried everything I can think of to get him to notice me but he sticks to Pansy."  
She glared at Draco. "You haven't been helping very much."  
"You can't think of any ideas," Draco replied. "The only idea we came up with I thought of."  
"Some idea that was," Hermione muttered.   
"Well, I've been working on Pansy," he said. "But she's so blind."  
"Maybe for a good reason," Hermione said under her breath. Draco stared, then burst out laughing.  
"Here I am, complaining to a Gryfindor," he said. "And I thought you'd sympathize. I never thought I'd do this in a thousand years. Much less team up with one."  
"Some team," Hermione replied. She flicked a crumpled piece of parchment at him.  
"And in a library too," he said. "I never go in here if I can help it." He flicked a piece of parchment back at her.  
"Hey!" Hermione said. She ripped at corner off her roll of parchment, prodded it with her wand and sent it zooming at Malfoy. He set back two at the same time. Hermione dipped her next one in ink and let it go. It splattered on Draco's nose.   
Before she knew it Hermione was dotted all over in ink-covered parchment, trying to keep from laughing and aim her ink-covered parchment at Draco. He was spotted mostly on his robes, which were black so you couldn't see it much.  
Hermione brushed an inky curl out of her face and flicked black, inky rain at him with her fingertips. He looked like a Dalmatian.   
He picked up his inkbottle and lobbed it at her. She gasped as it broke across her chest and suddenly her robes and the table beside her was covered in black liquid and glass. Snatching up her inkbottle she was just letting it fly when she heard an outraged 'Hermione!' behind her. She whirled around. It was Madam Pince.  
"Out! Get out!" she screeched. Hermione grabbed up her quill, extra inkbottles and parchment and ran for the door with Draco behind her. She dimly heard Madam Pince saying she was going to the Headmaster and wouldn't allow them either of them in the library again for the rest of the year. Hermione dashed out the door.  
"Sorry," she said to Draco, panting. "I guess I got your library privileges taken away."  
"Are you kidding?" Draco gasped. "Do you think I care?"  
They stood there looking at each other.  
"Well, good night Hermione," he said.   
It wasn't until Hermione reach the Gryfindor Common Room that she realized it was the first time he'd called her anything other than 'Granger' or 'Mudblood'. 


	7. Part of Chapter Six

Chapter 7  
  
Hermione and Draco got into trouble for the ink incident. Hermione had   
to spend three evenings rubbing ink-stains off books, plus her library   
privileges were revoked for the rest of the year. Harry and Ron helped   
her out by taking out any books she needed for her schoolwork, but she   
still missed it.   
Hermione and Draco finished their report in the Great Hall instead,  
and she found that now some of the Slytherin-Gryffindor tension between  
them was eased so that they could talk civilly. Draco was interesting,   
he was just a snob about anyone not in Slytherin.  
But Hermione liked talking to him anyhow, so much that she found   
herself wondering if she'd rather had done this report with Ron.  
Sorry so short. This chapter was supposed to be part of Chapter Six, but I forgot to post it so I made it a separate chapter. More next time. 


	8. The Daily Prophet

Chapter 8  
  
Hermione was sitting in the Great Hall when the mail came flying in. She put   
down her fork and knife and untied the Daily Prophet from the owl's leg, then scanned   
the front page.  
"Oh my goodness," she gasped. Harry looked over her shoulder and his eyes   
widened too.  
"Mr. Malfoy has disappeared?" he said. "But I don't get it. Isn't he working for   
Voldemort?"  
Coldness spread through Hermione's stomach and to her whole body. Gripping   
the paper tighter she glanced over at the Slytherin table. Draco was not there.  
"Lucius Malfoy?" Ron asked. "Not a big loss, is it?"  
Hermione was conscious of nothing but the thought she had to find Draco.   
Leaving her unfinished breakfast behind one the table she rushed off.   
"Where're you going?" Harry asked.  
"Er – library," she answered, forgetting she had been banned from it. She dashed   
out into the corridor, feeling a sick horror and sympathy inside her. Where was Draco?   
He must be so afraid, and no one else knew the truth about his father…  
Well, maybe Crabbe and Goyle did. Some comfort.  
Hermione had not gone far when the bell rang and she had to give up. She went   
back to her Common Room and set off for Transfiguration class, her head still whirling.   
Ron and Harry were already in the classroom, and they gave her quizzical looks as she   
entered.   
She had both Potions and Care of Magical Creatures that day, and she didn't see   
Malfoy in either of them. She was so distracted she failed the practice O.W.L test they   
took in Charms. But she didn't care. It was only a practice.  
Hermione searched after class but she didn't find him until after dinner, when she   
decided to check by the lake. He was sitting on one of the rocks scattered along the edge,   
his arms wrapped around his legs and his chin on his knees, glaring bitterly across the   
water. He didn't look up when she approached.  
"I – I heard your father disappeared," Hermione said tentatively. "It was in the   
Daily Prophet."  
"He didn't disappear," Draco replied shortly. "Voldemort killed him."  
Hermione felt the coldness in her stomach again.   
"He found out your father – your father was spying?"  
"Yes," Draco answered. "I got a letter from my mother this morning. He'd owled   
her before he died. He knew Voldemort had found out he was spying, and he fled.   
Voldemort followed and – killed him.  
"Chased him like a wild beast," he spat bitterly.  
Hermione didn't say anything, just sat down beside him and wrapped her arms   
around her legs too. For awhile they sat in silence. The water lapped the shore and the   
sky turned purplish, then Draco began to talk. Bitterly he told her of all the things his   
father had done, both good and bad, about the things he'd done for his son and the beliefs   
he'd held. Hermione let him run on, inwardly deciding it would be better to let him talk.   
Draco must have loved his father, how could you not love your father, though he didn't   
admit it. Clenching his hands around his knees he looked across the lake, and talked.  
"I just hate Voldemort," he finally burst out. "I don't know how I could have   
thought I supported him. I deluded myself, priding myself on my pureblood, thinking I   
was safe. I supported his killing of Mudbloods and Muggles, but – if he killed them all –   
he'd kill you, Hermione. And I'd have no one to talk to now. You're the only one who   
knew the truth about my father. Of course, there's always Crabbe and Goyle, but they're   
so – stupid."  
He looked at her and Hermione suddenly felt so sorry for him she surprised him   
by giving him a hug. And when he started crying she let him, feeling extremely awkward.   
She, a Gryffindor, touching a Slytherin. But not just any Slytherin.  
"You're not a bad girl, Hermione," he said, looking up. Then he half-smiled and   
looked across the water again. "For a Mudblood."  
But Hermione wasn't offended.  
*******************  
"Draco's been awfully quiet lately," Ron commented one day on their way to   
Charms. Hermione looked down. He had actually; ever since their conversation by the   
lake he'd become quieter, more subdued, paler, and if possible, even less nasty.   
Hermione could see it as he went to class, brewed potions, followed Hagrid around in   
Care of Magical Creatures, and even as she watched him defeat Ravenclaw at Quidditch.   
And the rational part of her brain still felt the same way about him, Malfoy the Slytherin,   
the idiot, the slimy git, but the other half thrilled to see him catch the Snitch, whiz   
through the air on a broomstick, give her a half-smile as he passed her in corridors, and   
deep inside her her heart would give him a thump it not longer gave to Ron.  
Somehow she couldn't care less about Ron anymore, and her mind came to   
realize it was not Ron but Draco – Draco, Draco, Draco, whom she felt anything at all   
about. No, she was fooling herself. She liked him. Loved him.  
But he was a Slytherin and she was a Gryffindor. He was a pureblood and she was   
a Mudblood. Worse still, he liked Pansy Parkinson.  
Hermione followed Ron into class and slammed her books on the desk. It always   
came back to Pansy Parkinson.  
There, how do you like my last chapter? I'm going to try to finish posting this   
story before June 21, when the Order of the Phoenix comes out and tells me this is way   
off track. And by the way, if there's any Harry/Cho fans out there you can try my fic   
'United We Stand, Divided We Fall', which I wrote a couple years ago. It's not exactly   
Harry/Cho, but it's the closest thing I've ever written. 


	9. Hogsmeade

Chapter 9  
  
"Bleech!" Ron cried, spitting out his Sure-To-Make-You-Gag Candyball. It fell to the pavement and shattered into little shards of color. They had been new at Honeydukes and Ron, Hermione, Harry and Pansy had all bought a bag. It was Ron they'd convinced to try them first, and according to his reaction the name was very appropriate.   
"Er, maybe I'd better not try one," Harry said. He glanced sideways at the bag in his hand and grimaced.   
"Why in the world did we buy them?" Pansy sighed. Hermione glanced at her sourly from the corner of her eye.  
"It was your idea," she said. "And everyone else was buying them."  
They all looked at each other as if daring one of them to try one also. Hermione quickly looked up at the blue sky, then glanced uncomfortably back down.  
"Hey look!" Harry said, pointing down the street. Relieved, Hermione looked where he pointed. All the way down the main street of Hogsmeade were little shards of color where other kids had been spitting out their candyballs too. Hermione winced, then looked at her bag.  
"I guess we should have known, with a name like that," she said. She glared at Pansy. Pansy gave her an I'm-completely-innocent look back. Hermione sighed and looked away. If it wasn't for Pansy's idea they wouldn't have bought them.  
"Um, yeah," Harry said. Casually he slung his candy bag over his shoulder and into the wastebasket. Hermione laughed and threw hers in after.  
"There goes two Sickles," Ron said, almost regretfully. Pansy laughed and looped her arm in his. Once that would have made Hermione jealous, but it hardly bothered her today. It just seemed weird to see Ron with a Slytherin. But then, she wasn't much better.  
They started walking again, sometimes stopping to talk to people they knew or to look in shops. For lunch they ate their sandwiches the house elves had made them. Hermione hesitated before biting in.  
"Hey guys," Fred and George called, coming up to the bench they were sitting on in the square. Harry and Ron waved and Hermione smiled. Pansy nodded cordially, as if she wasn't quite sure what to say.  
"Did you see it?" Fred asked. "Isn't it wonderful?"  
"What?" Ron asked.   
"The broomstick, duh," George replied. "In Edgar Whipwhistle's Sporting Goods. You mean you haven't heard?"  
"A broomstick?" Harry asked. "You mean, a new one?"  
"No, it's an old one," Fred said sarcastically. "What do you think?"  
"Come on Harry, let's go see," Ron said, dropping his sandwich on the ground in his haste. He didn't even notice, and neither did Harry when his sandwich joined Ron's. Rolling her eyes Pansy picked up her smart leather purse and followed. Hermione leapt up after them.  
"Boys," Pansy said as she walked. "No matter what house they're in, they're all the same. I bet all the Slytherins are excited too. And Ron goes off without even a Want-to-go-see-Pansy?"  
"Oh, I know," Hermione sighed, forgetting her animosity in her agreement. "You'd think we counted for something." They stopped outside the Sporting Goods Store.  
"Let's not go in," Pansy said. "Look at the crowds."  
The shop was crowded, crammed with boys pressed against a glass box at the back to gaze at the broomstick in it. Hermione didn't want to go in there.  
"It looks like any other broomstick to me," Pansy said.  
"Probably faster, or something," Hermione told her. "But I don't know how much faster than a Firebolt you can get."  
"Yeah, Harry's got one, hasn't he?" Pansy asked. "I wonder where he got it."  
Hermione opened her mouth, then shut it again. Sirius Black.   
"You don't know either, huh?" Pansy continued, taking her silence for confusion. Hermione nodded and wished Ron and Harry would come out. She did not want to talk to this girl.   
"Horrible what happened to Draco, huh?" Pansy said. "I mean, er, You-Know-Who. But why Draco's father?" She stopped at the look on Hermione's face and quickly changed tacks. "It's the end of the year soon. Are you ready for exams?"  
Hermione shrugged.   
"But of course you are," she continued. "Ron told me you study, like, 24/7. By the way, I heard you and Draco got kicked out of the Library? What ever did you do? Ron said he wasn't sure but you guys were probably fighting because when you came back you had ink all over you."  
"Uh, yeah," Hermione replied. "Er - are you ready for exams?"  
"Not yet," she said cheerily. "Oh, hi Draco."  
It was Draco who'd come up, and Hermione felt her heart jerk. Flushing slightly she looked back at Pansy.  
"Hi Pansy, hi Hermione," he said. Though he sounded normal he looked slightly more subdued than before.   
"Hey Draco," Pansy said. "Me and Hermione were just talking about exams. Are you ready?"  
Draco shrugged. "Stupid exams. Are you here with Ron?"  
"And Harry," Pansy added. "They're in the shop, if you're trying to avoid them. Have you seen the broomstick?"  
"It's not any better than the Firebolt," he said. "My Nimbus Two-Thousand-and-One could probably even outclass it.   
"W-what's it called?" Hermione asked, wishing her voice were calm.  
"Goal-trap #1," he said. "I think it was invented for Keepers."  
Hermione watched him, his clean jaw-line, brown eyes and pale hair, and flushed. Nervously she glanced back at the shop to see if Harry and Ron had come out yet, but they hadn't.  
"So, what have you been doing lately, Hermione?" he asked.   
"Not much," she told him. "We, er, tried the Sure-To-Make-You-Gag Candyballs."  
"Sooooooo disgusting," Pansy put in. "I'm glad I didn't try one."  
"Well, I'll see you around, I guess," he said. "There are Terence and Martin, keeping Crabbe and Goyle out of trouble. I'd better go help them." And he left.   
Hermione watched him go, then looked at Pansy. She was staring at Hermione with an amused expression on her face.   
"What?" Hermione snapped.  
"You have a thing for him, don't you," she said. Her grin widened.   
"Wha - How'd you know?" Hermione gasped. Heat rose to her cheeks.  
"Girls sense these things," Pansy said flippantly. "Don't worry He probably has no clue. But girl, it's so obvious to me when you act that way."  
Hermione stared down the street as if something interesting was going on at the end of it. That Pansy! Was it really that obvious?   
"I say, go for it girl," Pansy said, watching her. "Draco's not as nasty as he seems. Besides, you two would look good together."  
Hermione smile at her gratefully. Pansy really wasn't a bad sort, for a Slytherin. She just hoped Ron could hang onto her so Draco couldn't get her.  
That would be disaster.  
Sorry this chapt took sooooooooo long. You try having three band concerts three weeks in row, and they keep forgetting to make a place for the bass guitars to sit. Us bass guitars always get squished in the back corner between the trombones and the drums, with our guitar-necks jamming into the wall. But anyway. Hope you like this chapter. 


	10. End of Year

Chapter 10  
  
The rest of the year was just a blur. They took their O.W.Ls at the end of May, and Hermione hadn't gotten as many as she would have liked. Ron and Harry were worried sick about her, since she didn't seem to care. She tried to tell them O.W.Ls didn't seem like much of a big deal anymore, but they were still worried. And they weren't the only ones.  
"Hermione," Professor McGonagall said after Transfiguration. "Are you okay? You certainly didn't get as many O.W.Ls as I expected, and though six out of ten isn't a bad number I - well, I just wondered if you were satisfied with you results. Is something bothering you?"  
Yes, Hermione wanted to say sarcastically, I happen to be in love with a pureblood Slytherin. Wouldn't that have made McGonagall jump!  
But she only reassured her Transfiguration teacher that everything was absolutely okay and she'd just been having a bad day when she took those O.W.Ls. What she didn't expect was all of the other teachers to come up to her and ask exactly the same thing. Even Professor Snape snidely remarked she hadn't done as well as expected this year. She rewarded him with a glare.  
"Ron, I seriously am okay," she told him for the tenth time as they hurried away from Snape. If only she'd known how much attention he'd pay her when she didn't do well back when she was still in love with him. She would have welcomed such attention then.  
"Harry, bug off," she cried finally. "Do you want to know why? I've told you! Why must you keep asking?"  
Gryffindor played their last game for the Quidditch Cup against Ravenclaw. Slytherin really had not done the best this year and Hermione was sad, if only because it meant she had one less chance to see Draco play.  
My goodness, she thought, I must be turning into a lovesick ninny!  
The end of the term came quickly. Gryfindor won the House Cup again, like always, and it was presented to them at the End of Year Feast. Hermione couldn't have cared less.  
Slowly she packed her trunk, feeling in her heart this year had been a complete failure. She'd spent nearly all of it feeling miserable, and she was so glad she was going home now, getting away from it all. Folding her dress robes up she slid them in the corner of her trunk and sighed. Everything seemed so dull.  
Hermione was silent as the carriages took them to the train, and she didn't say much as she got on. She, Ron and Harry found a compartment at the back again, and settled into it. Ron and Harry were chatting animatedly the whole time. Hermione ignored them and stared out the window.   
Beneath the train the tracks flew by, and Hermione remembered staring miserably at them exactly the way she was doing now at the beginning of the year. Months passed, and everything had changed. Yet it was still all so similar.  
Pansy came in their compartment, to tell Ron good-bye and to ask Hermione to owl her sometime. Hermione told her that she would. She did not hate Pansy now.   
The train chugged to a stop at Platform Nine and Three Quarters and Hermione disembarked. Lugging her trunk she headed toward the metal archway when someone stopped her. She turned. It was Draco.  
"Need help with that?" he asked, gesturing to her trunk. Hermione shook her head and studied her feet.  
"I'll - see you next year," she said, trying to move forward again. Draco caught her by the arm.  
"See you next year, too," he said. "I'll - I'll miss you."  
Hermione looked up at him. She realized he was still gripping her arm, but she did not want him to let go.  
"Yeah, maybe you'll have better luck with Pansy next year," she said. A piece of her hair (Ginny had done it again) fell in her face, and she tucked it behind her ear.   
"Pansy?" Draco asked. "Oh no, I've gotten over her. Ages ago."  
Shock widened Hermione's eyes as the heat rose in her face. They stood there awkwardly a moment, students pushing past them on their way out. She fiddled with her shirt cuff.   
"Hermione," Draco said finally, "You're a really - wonderful girl. And I was wondering … it doesn't matter if you're a mudblood, or a Gryfindor, Hermione…"  
Hermione looked up again, up into his eyes, and saw there what she'd been hoping to see, longing to see, ever since she'd first realized she liked him. For one moment her heart stopped, everything around her stopped, then a wave of delirious happiness washed over her.  
"I like you too, Draco," she said.  
He bent and kissed her then, pressing his lips against hers, and Hemrione forgot they were standing in the middle of Platform Nine and Three Quarters, forgot everything, and if she'd have remembered she wouldn't have cared anyway…  
"Hermione!" Ron cried, his mouth agape. "What in the world are you doing?!"  
THE END  
So that is the end. I hope you've enjoyed reading this. I have to thank all of my wonderful reviewers out there who've kept reading this. This has been my most successful story yet! Thanks so much!  
By the way, I've starting posting another Draco story (Dueling Club), so if you liked this one… 


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